Category Archives

Category Name: Politics

Court: 3rd runway at Heathrow is illegal

Big news. The Court of Appeal – the second highest court in the land – ruled that, as it stands, Government policy on the proposed 3rd runway at Heathrow is illegal. This is because when drawing up the National Policy Statement on Airports, which is the official document used to give Heathrow permission to draw […]

Read More

Will Boris build a third runway at Heathrow?

Boris Johnson, the British Prime Minister whose Conservative Party won an impressive majority in the recent UK General Election, once said he ‘would lie down in front of the bulldozers’ to stop a third runway at Heathrow. He has always been against it. When he was Mayor of London he wanted a new airport to […]

Read More

Schiphol serves the public interest by de-hubbing

On 26 November, we, a delegation of Amsterdam citizens groups presented their research report Aviation out of balance to the Commission of Infrastructure and Water Management of the House of Representatives in a petition. The conclusion of the study is that Schiphol serves the public interest by de-hubbing the airport. This improves the quality of […]

Read More

UK committee: aviation growth needs to almost halve

The Committee on Climate Change(CCC), the Government’s official advisers, has said in a report out today that growth at UK airports needs to be almost half the predicted levels if aviation is to meet the government’s target of aviation being net-zero carbon by 2050. The CCC, chaired by former Conservation minister Lord Deben, said, “In […]

Read More

‘Climate-damaging air traffic steals its responsibility’

The environmental associations German Federal Agency for the Environment and Nature Conservation (BUND), the German Transport Association (VCD) and the German Association for the Protection of the Environment (DNR) have welcomed the proposal of Federal Environment Minister Svenja Schulze to raise the aviation tax as an urgently overdue step. ‘The particularly climate-damaging air traffic should […]

Read More

Plans Schiphol for 40,000 extra flights: angry reaction

After 2020, the Dutch government has allowed Schiphol to grow to a maximum of 540 thousand flight movements per year. Growth is only permitted if the aviation sector can demonstrate that the nuisance to the immediate environment is reduced, for example due to quieter and cleaner aircraft. Citizen’s organisations think minister Van Nieuwenhuizen’s proposal to […]

Read More

Proof: ultra-fine particles from aircraft affect health

A thorough study among 191 primary school children who live near Schiphol Airport shows that  high concentrations of ultra-fine particles from aircraft can effect health seriously. When the wind blows in the ‘wrong’ direction children with respiratory complaints suffer more and use more medication. Complaints include shortness of breath and wheezing. These are the conclusions […]

Read More

Shame of flying

Because politicians are usually rather reluctant to take unpopular measures, an increasing number of concerned citizens are taking the initiative to save the climate. There are large demonstrations everywhere for the environment and against climate change. This also means less flying. Psychologically, the term flying shame (from the Swedish flygskam) is interesting. Media reports more […]

Read More